PEI's Premier Robert Ghiz, all style over substance?

While running from PNP scandal in Legislature

The Charlottetown Guardian’s breathless reporting of Premier Ghiz call for more fiery debate in the Legislature didn’t resonate well with Islanders. Instead Islanders thought Ghiz was ungentlemanly, arrogant, throwing a tantrum and staging a press event to draw attention away from his government’s scandal.

5 comments or 9% supported Ghiz.

Guardian readers thought Ghiz was hiding from the PNP scandal (30%), arrogant (14%), looking for cheap publicity (11%) and sundry other reasons not to trust or agree with him (33%).

The consensus is people want the government to be more transparent about the PNP and other issues. They want Ghiz and his government to provide more responsible government.

PNP Thumbnail

At first read, I thought the Guardian story was an April Fool’s Day or the story was a satire from the otherwise dour and pro-government Guardian. It reads like a bad idea for a press release.

Charlottetown Guardian’s flaming story is in stark contrast to the muted reporting at CBC. The headlines are almost identical: Guardian: Premier wants more fire in debates and CBC Ghiz hopes for passionate debate in legislature.

If we’re sitting there on our hands, having nice conversations back and forth, we’re not really accomplishing anything,” Ghiz told CBC News Wednesday.

“It’s when the true debate happens and people get emotional and people get passionate about issues, and that’s what I’m hoping we’ll see from this session of the legislature.” CBC

Fair enough, the Premier would like to debate.

Over at the Guardian, the same story becomes a taunt by the Premier to a school yard dust-up with Opposition Leader Olive Crane, full of slurs and personal attacks on Crane. The Guardian readers reacted vehemently against the Premier’s tone and challenge.

“Premier Robert Ghiz says he misses the days of the fiery exchanges in the P.E.I. legislature between himself and former Premier Pat Binns and he wishes there were more people in the house to challenge his ideas.

In an interview that will likely set the tone for the fall session, Ghiz took a shot at Opposition Leader Olive Crane’s demeanor in the house.

Crane rarely gets involved in fiery political exchanges, choosing instead to stick to her scripted questions and challenging ideas rather than political rhetoric.

“It has to do with people’s demeanors, I guess,” Ghiz said, when asked if he felt the Opposition leader wasn’t challenging him.

“When I was leader of the Opposition myself and Premier (Pat) Binns used to have tremendous debates. It was very good.”

The house is about debate, added Ghiz.

“This is where people are able to use their passion, able to use their ideas, I hope it’s going to be a session of good debate,” said Ghiz.

“People get involved in politics because they have a strong belief system. I expect that there will be strong debates.” Guardian

Most people think Olive Crane is doing a good job and advise her not to follow “rabbit tracks” from Ghiz.